I am an evil giraffe. But I'm trying, Nick. I'm trying REAL HARD to be the wizard.

There’s a good deal to criticize in this article – not least of which is its rather sad attempt to equate the potential November election problems of the two parties – but I’d like to highlight one particular stumble, right out of the gate:

Republicans are luring new candidates into House and Senate races, and the number of seats up for grabs in November appears to be growing, setting up a midterm election likely to be harder fought than anyone anticipated before the party’s big victory in Massachusetts last week.

Bolding mine. “Likely to be harder fought than anyone anticipated.”

Actually, not just no. Hell, no. Anybody who could look at a map could have told you last November that this election cycle was going to be problematical for the Democrats; in fact, maps were drawn illustrating the opportunity. The increasingly favorable conditions about this midterm were only going to be a surprise to people not paying attention. Or to people not imaginative enough to look past confident assurances that this time there would be a permanent political realignment. Or to people who just wanted to believe that last.

It’s an open question which category Adam Nagourney and Carl Hulse fall into, of course. Or categories.